Christmas Message from the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum

It’s the year 2014 and its time for Christmas when we can reflect on three roads to Bethlehem, the place where Jesus was born.

First the road of necessity taken by Joseph and Mary. Second, the road of curiosity taken by the shepherds and third the road of commitment taken by the wise men.

All three have relevance to where we find ourselves in Fiji at this point of time. It helps if we distinguish between clock- measured time, chronos, and the right, opportune time, Kairos.

Fiji 2014 we have arrived at a Kairos; the right opportune time. We have had September elections and we now begin to tread unnervingly the path of democracy: newly elected parliament and in transition towards sustainable constitutional democracy.

True democracy in Fiji exists when the culture of silence has been transformed into a culture of dialogue in which people are empowered to speak up, voice their concerns and express themselves.

Faith both in personal and public expression can help us move towards democracy. In the tradition of the Prophet Micah we call: for the transformation to a society of peace where “swords are to be beaten into plough shares and spears into pruning hooks.” (Micah 4:3). These words which are also to be read high at the entrance into the United Nations Buildings in New York speak to us of the road of necessity, we have to walk that road; the road of curiosity- what it might be like to experience it as reality – and the road of commitment challenging us to bring peace for all in our world.